Kashayi : A medicinal drink made everyday drink :)

If you visit any Konkani home in North Canara you will be offered this drink. It is very common. This is considered as a substitute for coffee and tea. Especially when you visit somebody in the evening or if you do not drink coffee or tea, then Kashayi is what you get !

Kashay actually means medicinal liquid. The original recipe for kashayi is more complicated with very different and has difficult to get ingredients. When my Mother named some of the ingredients I didn't understand what they were! They are supposed to be good remedies for stomachache, constipation, cold, heat, gas problem etc,. All in one ! To make it simple the recipe is simplified, not by me traditionally instead with very common ingredients which we have in our kitchen all the time.

Ingredients :

For powder :
1 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)


Method :

Roast all the ingredients and powder coarsely.


To prepare two cups of Kashayi :
1 cup water
1 cup whole milk
3 teaspoons sugar (depends on your taste for sweetness)

Boil 1 cup water in a small deep pan add 2 teaspoons of kashayi powder. Boil for 2-3 mins. If you prefer stronger concentrate boil for one more minute. Strain the kashayi.

Add 1 cup of hot milk and sugar to Kashayi. Serve hot.

I do not add sugar. For me the kashayi taste with milk feels very good.